Theatre on a Shoestring PRESENTS ‘ W“ Sex and the I.lt.$. by William van Zandt and Jane Milmore " . UVM Recital Hall on the Redstone Campus May 16-17 - 8PM ' May 18 - 8:15PM Tickets: $8 for adults $5 for children 6-12 & senior citizens and can be obtained by calling (802) 86-FLYNN or by going online at www.theatreshoe.com. Tickets go on sale April. 22. Buy early! Our last show sold out 4 of the 5 nights! Sponsored by University Inn and Suites, South Burlington, VT Complimentary Ticket Offer Booka room for a minimum of two nights at the University Inn and Suites in South Burlington, VT and receive two complimentary tickets to the show. Room and ticket availability are limited. Valid for stays May 14-19, 2002 only. Book: (802) 863-5541. BE A Mountain Pride Media's Publishing Committee would like to invite you to our "Be A Hero Open House" on Tuesday, April 16th from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. , at our offices in Richmond (39 Bridge Street, above the Daily Bread Bakery). This is your opportunity to learn about the numerous volunteer opportunities available at MPM and OITM. You can also meet our _OlTM staff, talk to someone about selling ads (a great way to make extra money), and see our offices. We also invite representatives from area non-profits to stop in tolearn about the many services that we offer to help you 20 Charming Rooms A Lesswv PARADISE Peace & Privacy “e ‘H1 Iilandg ‘Inn P.O. Box 118 Bethlehem. NH 03574 603-869-3978 ,1-877-LE5-B-INN (537-2466) 100 Acres 0 Pool Hot Tub - Trails wwvmhighlandsinn-nh.com vacation@highlandsinn-nh.com 4 HERO! Than a Woan arry opened his under- I wear drawer and dis- covered bras where his boxers had been. He reached into the closet for his lucky interview suit and hanging in its place was a full-length red sequined gown. Chuck had struck again. Larry’s partner of five years, Chuck, began experi- menting with drag, a few months ago, and their lives — not to mention their closets and dresser drawers — haven’t been the same since. “If I had wanted women’s clothes in my bed- room, I’d have married a woman,” Larry vented. “I never liked drag. Never!” It’s true. As long as I’d known him, Larry had been one of those gay men who had absolutely no appre- ciation for the gender-bending art form. “I knew I shouldn’t have let him talk me into ' going as Laverne and Shirley for Halloween last year,” Larry muttered. “That’s when this all started.” Larry had been a con- vincing brewery-worker Laverne but it was Chuck who’d tapped into what would make all his dreams come true. And, now, Larry blamed Chuck’s current costumed pursuits on his hours spent as the other half of the sit-com duo. Can their whole hurly-burly be traced back to Shirley, interms of Chuck’s change from burly to girly? And, now that Larry had a drag queen for a partner, how would he handle it? Larry tried to be sup- portive, at first. He chipped in for costumes and watched endless rehearsals of Chuck lip-synching to torch songs. He assisted with the physical transformation and escorted Chuck’s sassy alter ego to var- ious bars and clubs. It wasn’t long, _ though, before Larry’s real feelings about drag began to slip out in conversations. He belittled Chuck and insulted his new friends. Larry had no intention of trying to pledge their sorority, and he made that quite clear. “I think they give gay people a bad name,” Larry articulated. “They set back Their lives - not to mention their closets and drawers - haven’t been the same since. gay rights every time they show up at a pride parade.” I reminded him that it had been the drag queens at Stonewall who’d started the modern gay rights movement and who are still among the most dedicated fundraisers and activists. “They_primp and shave, and then put on a dress and think they’re suddenly witty and wise,” Larry opined. This from a man who has his chest waxed to better display his muscles and, after two cocktails, acts as if he’s the Oracle of Delphi. My friend ‘Wayne also struggled with some issues. when he dated a drag queen. As a professional singer and dancer, Wayne considered lip- synching performances to be nothing more than karaoke with better production values. He understood the desire to put on a show, though he probably wouldn’t have gotten involved with Billy if he had- n’t met him in the very butch surroundings of kick boxing class. Knowing that the man he was dating did drag was one thing. Watching that guy tuck his penis out of sight, put on a gown and ask to be zipped up was something else altogether. And being seen in public with Billy in full regalia was a scenario that Wayne desperately hoped to ’ avoid. But, when his high- heeled honey handed him an invitation to a fund-raising gala where he would be a fea- tured entertainer, Wayne grudgingly agreed to go. It was a glittery evening and not just because of the lights reflecting off Billy’s bugle- beaded bustier. ' As they mingled with the other attendees, Wayne and his dolled-up date ran into a straight couple who lived in Wayne’s apartment building. Wayne was mortified. He could barely speak, much less introduce his neighbors to the six—foot-two gender illusionist beside him. Frozen smiles were exchanged. But even colder were the disapproving looks the couple gave Billy. Wayne was incensed. How dare they cast a disparaging eye on such a fine man? They didn’t know anything about him, yet they judged him merely because he was in drag. Then Wayne real- ized that, by not wanting to be seen in public with Billy in costume and make up, he’d been just as prejudiced. Should every gay man do drag? Of course not. And not all of us could handle the challenges of being in a rela- tionship with a drag queen, either. But a community that expects others to accept our diversity should be more accepting of those who aren’t cookie-cutter clones or con- servative assimilationists. Clothes don’t make the man. And a dress and heels don’t make the man any less deserv- ing of our respect and kind- ness. V Dennis Scott-Bush '5 work appears in publications throughout the country. E-mail may be directed to him _ at Nakea'Curi0sity@a0l. com.